Was I [the woman] who was pregnant with this nation [in my belly?] Did I give birth to them? But You told me that I must carry them in my bosom, as a nurse carries an infant [until we come] to the land that You swore to their ancestors.

'Tell the people as follows: Prepare yourselves for tomorrow, for you will then have meat to eat. You have been whining in God's ears, saying, 'Who's going to give us some meat to eat? It was better for us in Egypt!'

But for a full month [you will eat it] until it is coming out of your nose and making you nauseated. This is because you rejected God [now that He] is among you, and you whined before Him, 'Why did we ever leave Egypt?' '

God descended in the cloud, and spoke to [Moses]. He caused the spirit that had been imparted on [Moses] to emanate, and He bestowed it upon the seventy elders. When the spirit descended on them, they gained the gift of prophecy and did not lose it.

God caused a wind to start blowing, sweeping quail up from the sea. They ran out of strength over the camp, and [were flying] only two cubits above the ground for the distance of a day's journey in each direction.

did not lose it (Targum). Or, 'did not keep it' (Sifri; Ralbag; Septuagint).

Eldad....Medad Some say that they were the sons of Eltzafan son of Parnach (Numbers 34:25), born to Yocheved while she was divorced from Amram, and hence, half-brothers to Moses (Targum Yonathan). Others say that Eldad was Elidad son of Chislon of Benjamin (Numbers 34:21) and that Medad was Kemuel son of Shiftan of Ephraim (Numbers 34:24) (BeMidbar Rabbah 15:19).

registered There were six from each of the twelve tribes, making a total of 72, and these two were then excluded by lot (Sifri; Rashi).

chomers See Leviticus 27:16. Kor in Greek (Septuagint. Cf. Targum Yonathan). Since a chomer is 30 sa'ah, each one had ten sa'ah per day (Chizzkuni). The ten chomers was around 80 cubic feet, or around 1000 pounds of meat.

between their teeth It is from here that we learn that meat retains its status even when it is between the teeth, and that therefore one must wait six hours between meat and dairy (Chullin 105a). According to others, they were still eating the meat during the designated month (Sforno).

Chatzeroth See Numbers 33:17, Deuteronomy 1:1. Some say that this can be identified with Ain Khadra, some 37 miles north-east of Sinai. The Israelites arrived in Chatzeroth on 22 Sivan (Taanith 29a; Chizzkuni). Some say that Korach's rebellion occured in Chatzeroth (Rashi on Deuteronomy 1:1), see Numbers, 16:20.

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